China's quantum technology sector is drawing inspiration from its rich cultural heritage, naming groundbreaking innovations after classical literary and mathematical masterpieces. From the "Jiuzhang" photonic quantum computer to the "Mozi" satellite, these names pay homage to centuries of Chinese intellectual achievement while pushing the boundaries of modern science. This fusion of ancient wisdom and futuristic capability represents a uniquely Chinese approach to technological advancement.
The Jiuzhang series of photonic quantum computers takes its name from the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art," a foundational Chinese mathematical text compiled between the Qin and Western Han dynasties. Chinese scientists deliberately chose this name to honor the ancient work that established the basic framework of Chinese mathematics. In May, the "Jiuzhang IV" photonic quantum computing prototype, developed by Pan Jianwei and Lu Chaoyang's teams at the University of Science and Technology of China in collaboration with several domestic research institutions, set a world record in photonic quantum information technology. The results were published in the prestigious international journal Nature. To put its power in perspective, the world's fastest supercomputer would need approximately 10 to the 42nd power years to solve certain specific mathematical problems, while the "Jiuzhang IV" accomplishes the same tasks in just 25 microseconds-a speed advantage of over 10 billion billion billion billion billion times. Since the original "Jiuzhang" achieved "quantum computational advantage" in 2020, the series has been continuously upgraded through "Jiuzhang II" and "Jiuzhang III," consistently breaking its own records.
Running parallel to the Jiuzhang series is the Zuchongzhi superconducting quantum computer, named after the renowned ancient Chinese mathematician who calculated pi to remarkable precision. Following the successive launch of "Zuchongzhi II" and "Zuchongzhi III," China has become the only country in the world to achieve "quantum computational advantage" on both major quantum computing technical routes-photonic and superconducting.
The Benyuan Wukong superconducting quantum computer draws its name from the Monkey King, the iconic character from the classical novel "Journey to the West." In the era of artificial intelligence, quantum computing has tremendous potential, and "Wukong" has proven equally impressive in the quantum computing realm as its gaming counterpart "Black Myth: Wukong" has been in the entertainment world. At the Beijing Science and Technology Expo, China's fourth-generation independently developed superconducting quantum computer "BenYuan Wukong-180" was officially launched, accepting quantum computing tasks from around the globe. As of June, "BenYuan Wukong" has provided quantum computing cloud services to 139 countries, completing over one million global quantum computing tasks. The system is now working with partner organizations to expand quantum AI applications, accelerating the transition of technological breakthroughs from laboratory validation to industrial implementation.
The Mozi quantum satellite honors Mozi, the ancient Chinese philosopher, educator, scientist, and founder of Mohism, who is posthumously revered as the "Saint of Science." Two thousand years ago, Mozi became the world's first scientist to discover the principle of pinhole imaging and proposed the theory that light travels in straight lines. Two millennia later, the "Mozi" quantum satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on August 16, 2016, to explore the frontiers of quantum communication. Within its first year in orbit, the satellite completed all planned scientific experiments, including the world's first thousand-kilometer-scale satellite-to-ground bidirectional quantum entanglement distribution, a rigorous test of quantum non-locality under conditions satisfying Einstein's locality criterion, and the first successful thousand-kilometer quantum key distribution from satellite to ground. In 2022, it achieved quantum state teleportation between ground stations 1,200 kilometers apart, setting a new experimental record. After nearly a decade of service, the "Mozi" satellite concluded its mission in January 2026, re-entering the atmosphere and streaking across the sky as a final meteor.
To understand what quantum actually is, Academician Pan Jianwei offers a simple explanation: quantum is the most fundamental unit of the microscopic world. When a physical quantity possesses a minimum indivisible fundamental unit, that quantity is said to be quantized, and that smallest unit is called a quantum. Photons, for example, are the quanta of light-the smallest units of light energy. Quantum technologies harness three core properties: superposition, entanglement, and no-cloning, enabling revolutionary applications in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.
China's "15th Five-Year Plan" has designated quantum technology as the top priority among six future industries. In the Hefei High-tech Zone of Anhui Province, a 3.5-kilometer "Quantum Avenue" hosts dozens of leading quantum technology companies. The "Mozi" satellite departed for space from this avenue, the "Jiuzhang" quantum computing prototype was born here, and industry giants including QuantumCTek and Origin Quantum have established their roots along this remarkable street. While the birth of quantum mechanics a century ago reshaped humanity's understanding of the material world, quantum technology today is already stepping out of laboratories to become a vital engine driving the next wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation.